Ginnie Baker

A financial advisor at Beaird Harris Wealth Management in Dallas since 2015, Virginia “Ginnie” Baker devotes a lot of her free time to the Financial Planning Association. She’s currently the chair of the 2023 OneFPA Advisory Council Executive Committee.

Last year, the FPA said it was taking charge of an effort to achieve legal recognition of the term “financial planner” through title protection, meaning that anyone who uses that title has met standards that protect consumers and bolster the profession. The trade organization counts certified financial planner certificate holders and others as its members.

And that’s taking up a good amount of Baker’s time, she said.

“The FPA is pushing for this, but what does it mean to the advisors?” she said. “Most people are for this but there are also unanswered questions. How will it work, what does it mean and what are the criteria?”

Beaird Harris has a niche focus on health care professionals, and Baker concentrates on the young professionals’ segment at the firm. “These clients have high incomes and lots of earnings potential, but they need help,” she said. “Doctors aren’t known for being good with their money.”

—Bruce Kelly